Improvement in picture-frames



A. s. DAVIS.-

`Picmrelrune.

No.V 205,250. rPaten'ted June 25,1878.

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B Y Dod WN Witnesses:

N.PETERS. FHOTO-LITHUGRAFHER, wggHlNGTON, D. C..

` tion:

'f-PAT"arly-11y @BEIGE ALEXANDER s.; DAVIS, `or JERSEYLCLTRNEW JERSEY, ASSIGflSTQt OF ONE- lHALF HIS ,RIGHTr TQ GEQRGE M- LAW, QF New man,

"IMPBQVEMENTIN PICTURE-FRAMES.;

specification formingpart @Letters Patent No. 205,250, da n Jumet, 1878 appneationma I ."Aprilzalss f Y L To all whom it may concern.- A

of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented `certain Improvements in Picture-Frames, Vand parts thereof, of which the following isa specificarllhis invention is specially designed to fur nish a ready and convenient means of framing small picture`s,1a nd to enable the public generally to make up their ownpictureframes from ready-made parts, whichfcan be conven-g iently kept in stock by small dealers, avoiding thelnecessity, on the one hand, `on the part of the dealer of keeping a large variety of frames on hand, and on the other hand avoiding the necessity on the part of the users of sending their pictures -to vthe factory and having a special frame made to order in each particular case. The leading feature of the invention consists in the corner-pieces, hereinafter described, which are constructed to receive sides and ends, which may be readily cut to the proper length to make the size of picture-frame required.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of a picture-frame embodying the leading feature of my invention, and also most of its details of construction. Fig. 2 is aback view of a portion of the same frame, showing also some modification in the construction of the corner-pieces. Fig. 3 is a side or edge yiew of the same without the back side filled in between the corner-pieces. Fig. 4 is a like view with the back side lled in. Fig. 5 is a top view of a picture-frame embodying the leading feature of my invention, and also showing a device for strengthening the back of the i frame, and adapted more particularly to the dle portions of the sides and ends. These corner-pieces are intended 'to be made up and sold separately as an article of manufacture, the strips B B being also provided ready made to fit' the cornerpieces, and lin convenient lengthsffor sale.

Each c0rnerpiece A is made up of f lve ypieces 0f wood, a c, b, and c 0.5 The front piecesa a should bemade of some suitable ornamental wood toV form a portion of the front of the frame, and are mitered together, as

shown in Fig. 1 The baok'pieces c care also mitered together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and may be made 'of pine 'or other soft Wood. The middle piece `b is" a simple flat p ieceof wood, placed between the partslaaland the partsc c, to give strength to tlie mitered joint,

and to spacethe parts c c the properr distance apart from the part-s c c to allow the side and end'strips B B to be inserted snugly between them, as shown in the drawings..` The parts a a, 115ml G 0, having been 51st formed, (which may be very rapidly done withl properiniachinery,) are united by glue or other means to form a corner-piece, such as is shown in the drawings. In some climates probably good gelatine glue will answer the purpose; but in particularly dampv and changeable climates marine glue, composed of gum-shellac and gum-caoutchouc in solution, will hold them more strongly and safely together. Y

The corner-pieces beingput together as described and properly finished, and, if desirable, ornamented, are then ready for sale as an article of manufacture; and it will be observed that there will be spaces left between them at their ends to receive the side and end strips B B, which latter should also be made of suitable wood to form a portion of the front of the frame, and properly'linished. The fronts of these strips, as well as the front `side of the corner-pieces, may be varnished, oiled, or otherwise finished, according to taste. The back pieces c c may be of the same length as the front pieces a a, as shown at the lower left hand corner of Fig. 2 5 or they may be longer, as shown at the upper left-hand corner of the same figure, so as to give additional bearing to the strips B B. The strips B B may be furnished in long sticks, or they may be furnished in lengths approximating to thoseusually required, which latter wll perhaps be preferable and most convenient. Some of these may be cut to lengths exactly adapted to the formation or other appropriate means to hold the frame together. As, however, the use of glue for this purpose would in many cases be inconvenient and its application imperfect,I am inclined to recommend the employment for this service of small round-headed brass pins d d,

as shown in the drawings, which not only do not disiigure the frame, but will, on the contrary, be ornamental. To facilitate the proper location and easy insertion of these pins, Very small holes may be made through the pieces a a in the process of manufacture; and, if found necessary to prevent splitting, or for any other reason desirable, small holes may be made with a minute bradawl through the ends of the strips B B. These pins (and a cheap awl, if necessary) can be furnished with the other parts, and at triin g expense.

Should it be deemed desirable to stiien the sides and ends B B, especially in the larger frames, thisv may be done by attaching to them the intermediate pieces C, (of the same width and thickness as the pieces c 0,) either with glue or with pins d d, after the frame is put together, as shown. This also fills out the back ofthe frame so as to make it of the same thickness throughout. These frames, particularly the larger ones, may also, if desirable, be greatly strengthened by forming a rabbet in the back and end of each of the pieces o e, and attaching a piece, D, (either with pins or with glue,) as shown in Figs 5 and 6. These pieces, and also the pieces C, properly dressed and ready for use, except perhaps as regards length, can be kept on hand and for sale with the other parts, if found desirable.

All these parts can be produced at a very trifiing cost, and it is easy to see that by their use persons of very common understanding can make up their own picture-frames for small pictures in moments of leisure, and in sizes adapted to such particular pictures as they may have, and without'the annoyance and expense of sending the pictures to be framed to order.

I claim as my invention- 1. As a new article of manufacture, the corner piece A, composed of the parts a a., b, c c, constructed and adapted to receivethe strips B B, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The picture-frame hereinbefore described, combining in its construction the corner-pieces A A, composed of the parts a a, b, c c, and the strips B B, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the corner-pieces A A, strips B B, and the piece D, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

ALEXANDER S. DAVIS.

Witnesses Timo. J. VETTERLEIN, THos. P'. How. 

